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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: band · bore · arm · field · spring · rush · suit · stick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spring — of water
  10. band — a music group
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. field — farmland
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. suit — in cards
  19. band — a ring
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to drill

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