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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — of ice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stock — shares
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — to get on
  24. spring — the season

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