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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: jam · spring · fan · pass · stand · pop · straw · saw

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pop — music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spring — of water
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — the season
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stand — for spectators

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