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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ball — a dance
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — electricity
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — to get on
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

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