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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. branch — a division
  14. tube — a container
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. deal — to handle
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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