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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — to get on
  3. spring — the season
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. spring — of water
  8. board — a committee
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. spring — a coil

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