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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: nail · spring · fan · spell · can · band · bank · stock

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — of a river
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. can — to be able to
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — the season
  11. band — a music group
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bank — for money
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — of water
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — shares
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — for a hammer

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