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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: spring · board · hide · patient · can · ground · wave · club

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. board — to get on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spring — a coil
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — the season
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a committee
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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