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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spring — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cell — in biology
  13. hand — help
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ball — a great time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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