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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: wake · rush · club · spring · pass · can · face · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. spring — of water
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. face — to confront
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. face — to point toward
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — to succeed

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