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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 116 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: fork · can · hand · spring · club · board · cabinet · hide

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. board — a committee
  3. club — for dancing
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — help
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — the season
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. club — for golf
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. club — a group
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — in cards

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