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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: hand · deal · spring · arm · bound · stand · can · staff

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. deal — to handle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spring — a coil
  6. staff — a stick
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — certain
  19. staff — employees
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bound — tied together
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — the season
  24. deal — an agreement

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