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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: race · spring · squash · leaves · board · file · present · can

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. file — a document
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spring — a coil
  6. present — the time now
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. race — a contest
  10. board — a committee
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — humankind
  13. squash — the sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — to be able to
  16. spring — of water
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. present — there
  20. file — a tool
  21. race — the arms race
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — a gift
  24. board — to get on

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