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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.

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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: spell · stand · board · fan · bound · dip · spring · cue

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spring — the season
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a committee
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — certain
  21. spell — letters
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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