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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. can — to be able to
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pit — in a race
  7. can — a tin
  8. bound — certain
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. can — a tin
  16. spring — a coil
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — to bear
  20. wind — moving air
  21. board — a committee
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — an explosive

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