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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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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: spring · safe · fan · pass · object · net · trunk · mouse

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. object — to protest
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — a thing
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — a permit
  20. net — for catching
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — the animal

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