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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: court · spring · toast · fan · plane · safe · snap · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. spring — the season
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. court — for sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. snap — to click

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