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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: spring · leaves · jam · shower · board · dip · cue · mate

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spring — the season
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mate — a partner
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. board — a committee
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. spring — of water
  22. cue — a hint
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cue — for pool

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