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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · arm · spring · suit · staff · chair · tube · fall

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chair — a leader
  12. spring — the season
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — to drop
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. suit — clothes
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com