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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spring — a coil
  3. march — the month
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. staff — employees
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pit — a hole
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — a gift
  18. board — a committee
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — music
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. board — to get on
  24. staff — a stick

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