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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — of water
  5. plane — a tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. object — an aim
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — a thing
  21. mug — to rob
  22. branch — a division
  23. mug — a cup
  24. plane — in geometry

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