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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: spell · board · stand · wave · kid · spring · object · stick

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. spring — the season
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — child
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — an aim
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — a thing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spell — letters
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spell — a short time
  20. object — to protest
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — magic
  24. wave — with your hand

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