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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: saw · net · fan · game · spring · last · coach · firm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spring — a coil
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. last — finally
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — for catching
  9. game — wild animals
  10. net — in sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — final
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — after costs
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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