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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 120 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: spring · calf · bear · tube · key · board · lean · mate

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — in music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mate — a friend
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lean — to bend
  18. board — to get on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tube — a container
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — to breed

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