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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: board · stand · leaves · stock · saw · spell · fine · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. stock — shares
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a committee
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — a short time
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stock — goods
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. leaves — of a tree

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