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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 · plane · board · suit · ball · shower · snap · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. row — a line
  10. spring — a coil
  11. snap — to click
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — clothes
  14. shower — to wash
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a dance
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — to get on
  24. plane — an aircraft

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