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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 124 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.

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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: mark · wound · arm · spell · can · spring · jam · stick

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. spring — the season
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. spring — of water
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. can — to be able to
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — a coil
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. can — a tin
  24. arm — part of the body

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