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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — a gift
  3. mate — a partner
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — to get on
  7. track — to keep track
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — of water
  16. track — a song
  17. spring — a coil
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. track — a path

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