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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: chest · snap · spell · rest · spring · safe · cabinet · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — magic
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. board — a committee
  9. chest — a box
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spell — letters
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spring — of water
  20. chest — of your body
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to click
  24. cabinet — ministers

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