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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: spring · board · cue · branch · fan · content · spell · nail

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. content — happy
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — a committee
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spell — letters
  18. content — the amount
  19. spring — of water
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — a division
  24. spring — the season

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