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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: board · deal · rush · spring · saw · game · lean · stem

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a match
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spring — a coil
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. deal — to handle
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lean — to bend
  22. board — a committee
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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