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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: spring · land · roll · wind · foot · fan · present · pass

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. roll — a list
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. land — ground
  7. spring — of water
  8. land — a country
  9. roll — a cake
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. present — there
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — the season
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spring — a coil
  24. present — the time now

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