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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · drill · rock · wound · spring · bear · board · pit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a hole
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — of water
  12. wound — an injury
  13. staff — a stick
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — a practice
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bear — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a committee
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spring — the season
  24. rock — a stone

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