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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: staff · board · spring · fan · pitch · bowl · spell · lean

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spell — a short time
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spell — magic
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spring — the season
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. board — a committee
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spring — of water

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