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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: leaves · spring · cue · board · patient · object · kick · pound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cue — a signal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a committee
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — to get on
  10. spring — of water
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kick — in football
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — an aim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — to protest

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