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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. spring — of water
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — a coil
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. board — to get on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — the season
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — the fish

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