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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.

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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: board · mug · mate · spring · stick · hand · firm · hide

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — in cards
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mug — a face
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spring — a coil
  14. firm — decided
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — help

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