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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.

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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: cabinet · wound · rush · spring · board · snap · patient · rock

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wound — an injury
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — a committee
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rock — to move gently

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