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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: pitcher · nail · press · spring · stand · wind · safe · spell

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spring — of water
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — a coil
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stand — to bear
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — letters
  24. spring — the season

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