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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: can · hide · pitcher · saw · board · wave · ruler · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — of water
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — to get on
  24. saw — the tool

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