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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 · pass · spring · lash · field · fan · chip · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — farmland
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — the season
  10. field — a subject
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pass — a permit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. chip — for betting
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. field — for sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — the most important part

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