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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.

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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. season — in sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. saw — the tool
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — of the year

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