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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: rash · board · bay · cue · spring · mate · prune · row

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rash — hasty
  4. board — a committee
  5. row — a line
  6. spring — the season
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — to get on
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — for pool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rash — on the skin
  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