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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: bank · spring · face · ball · board · cue · dip · mine

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cue — for pool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spring — of water
  5. face — part of the head
  6. board — a committee
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spring — the season
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. face — to confront
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. ball — a great time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a round shape

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