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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: mate · lie · spring · board · last · fall · cabinet · kid

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — to drop
  8. last — to go on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kid — child
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. kid — to tease
  18. last — finally
  19. spring — the season
  20. fall — the season
  21. last — final
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — to breed

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