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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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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: fall · spring · pit · board · bound · band · deal · rush

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bound — obliged
  3. spring — of water
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — certain
  13. spring — the season
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pit — a hole
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fall — the season
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fall — to drop
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a ring

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