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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: wind · spring · firm · board · foot · snap · drill · can

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wind — moving air
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — army training
  9. firm — steady
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. board — to get on
  14. spring — a coil
  15. board — a committee
  16. firm — a company
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. snap — to click
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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