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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: wave · spring · leaves · foot · stick · nail · rash · chest

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rash — a series
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. spring — a coil
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rash — hasty
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — of a tree

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