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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: bank · cap · fan · firm · leaves · face · can · spring

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. can — to be able to
  9. firm — steady
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spring — of water
  17. cap — a lid
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — a company
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — decided

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