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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 116 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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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: band · fall · rest · spring · can · board · stock · mouse

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spring — the season
  8. stock — goods
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stock — shares
  11. rest — what's left
  12. spring — of water
  13. band — a music group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — to get on
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. rest — a break
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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