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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spring — a coil
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spring — the season
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. snap — to click
  12. can — to be able to
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. net — for catching
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. can — a tin
  21. root — the cause
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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