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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.

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: spring · stick · drill · bark · mug · board · fan · toast

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. board — to get on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spring — of water
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. board — a committee
  16. drill — a practice
  17. toast — bread
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bark — to shout
  23. drill — army training
  24. board — a flat piece

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