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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: wind · pass · calf · cap · spring · wake · bass · roll

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spring — a coil
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. roll — a list
  9. spring — of water
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bass — low music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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