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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spring — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bank — for money
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — of a river

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