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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spring — a coil
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. board — a committee
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — army training
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — the season
  24. straw — dry grass

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