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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 116 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: lie · fan · spring · patient · saw · ball · firm · track

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spring — a coil
  3. firm — steady
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — a song
  12. spring — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ball — a great time
  21. track — a path
  22. firm — decided
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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