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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 120 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: racket · hide · deal · board · prune · lie · spring · bear

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spring — of water
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. board — to get on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — a coil
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. racket — for tennis

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