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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spring — the season
  13. pop — to visit
  14. spring — a coil
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. can — a tin
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — soda
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. leaves — lets stay

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