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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
468
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: fan · spring · current · chair · bank · press · pass · wind

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. current — electric
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wind — moving air
  5. press — a publisher
  6. current — happening now
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pass — a permit
  11. press — to push
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. current — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. press — newspapers

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