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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · spring · saw · stick · hand · racket · leaves · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hand — help
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — in cards
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spring — a coil
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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