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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
468
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: suit · charge · snap · chest · board · spring · cabinet · drill

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — a committee
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — of water
  8. chest — a box
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — army training
  13. board — to get on
  14. spring — a coil
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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