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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 116 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: ball · can · wave · bound · stand · spring · hand · craft

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hand — help
  15. bound — tied together
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — obliged
  19. craft — boats
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — certain
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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