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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — to get on
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. board — a committee
  18. kid — to tease

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