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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: board · court · wave · mark · spring · safe · last · bound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bound — tied together
  7. court — of law
  8. last — final
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bound — obliged
  17. board — to get on
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. board — a committee
  22. last — finally
  23. bound — certain
  24. mark — to pay attention

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