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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — a match
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. spring — a coil
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. spring — the season
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — of water
  18. snap — to click
  19. branch — a division
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. board — a committee

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