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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · suit · hide · tear · drill · saw · spring · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mate — a partner
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — to get on
  9. spring — the season
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — in cards
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — army training
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mate — a friend
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a committee
  23. suit — to fit
  24. drill — the tool

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