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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · board · spring · plane · rush · last · march · sharp

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spring — a coil
  4. board — to get on
  5. last — finally
  6. spring — of water
  7. march — the month
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. march — music
  13. spring — the season
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. last — final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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