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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — a coil
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — the season
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bound — obliged
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — a committee
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — to get on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a tree

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