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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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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: jam · spring · fork · last · nail · rush · mark · lean

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spring — the season
  4. last — final
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lean — to bend
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spring — of water
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lean — thin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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