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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: foot · arm · saw · rush · degree · bay · spring · fork

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — the tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fork — in a road
  22. degree — temperature
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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