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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 112 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: bound · stand · spring · pop · rush · board · hand · fan

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pop — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — to get on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spring — of water
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. spring — the season
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spring — a coil
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. hand — help
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — hurry

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