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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bound — tied together
  3. spring — the season
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cap — of ice
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — certain
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — to handle

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