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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 · nail · rest · cap · staff · wake · saw · spring

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. spring — of water
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — to get on
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rest — a break
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. wake — a trail

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