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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.

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: rest · bay · field · hand · last · stick · spring · jam

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. field — for sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. last — final
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — farmland
  16. spring — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — finally
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. last — to go on
  21. field — a subject
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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