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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: patient · bank · bowl · spring · present · net · lean · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — of water
  4. lean — thin
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spring — the season
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — the time now
  11. net — in sport
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — after costs
  16. present — there
  17. net — for catching
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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