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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · board · rash · track · march · hide · spring · fan

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — to keep track
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rash — a series
  9. march — music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spring — the season
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. track — a path
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. board — to get on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — hasty
  22. track — a song
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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