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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. board — a committee
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — the season
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. bank — for money
  24. scale — in music

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