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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: bear · spring · chest · bat · mark · mug · suit · arm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. spring — of water
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. spring — the season
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bat — the animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. bat — in an idiom

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