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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.

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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: can · fan · coach · deal · spring · arm · lean · bear

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — the season
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spring — of water
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — a coil
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — to handle

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