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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. spring — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — to get on
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. spring — a coil
  24. squash — the 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