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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: spring · rash · nail · chair · present · firm · leaves · foot

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. foot — a measure
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. present — there
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — hasty
  13. spring — of water
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — steady
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — decided
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spring — a coil
  24. firm — a company

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