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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · fork · spring · suit · board · kick · can · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — in football
  5. suit — clothes
  6. can — to be able to
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. rash — a series
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spring — the season
  16. rash — hasty
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. suit — in cards

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