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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
468
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: fork · stock · temple · season · can · arm · snap · spring

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. season — in sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. can — a tin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — shares
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — of the year
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — a coil
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stock — goods

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