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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: fine · rock · cap · board · mug · spring · bound · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. board — to get on
  6. fine — all right
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — of ice
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spring — of water
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. board — a committee
  24. bound — certain

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