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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: bore · can · board · stick · wound · object · key · spring

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — a coil
  3. object — an aim
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spring — of water
  14. object — a thing
  15. can — a tin
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — to get on
  21. spring — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bore — to tire

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