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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — of water
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pass — a permit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — to confront
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bank — of a river
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. spring — the season

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