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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · fan · spring · mate · mark · board · roll · race

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — a contest
  4. spring — the season
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. roll — a cake
  23. mark — a trace
  24. roll — a list

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