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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: lean · board · mouse · rash · bark · spring · pit · nail

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — a committee
  19. spring — a coil
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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