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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: lean · dip · coach · arm · jam · spring · mug · fall

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spring — the season
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spring — of water
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. spring — a coil
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fall — the season
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mug — to rob
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. dip — a sauce

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