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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 120 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: last · club · firm · stand · spring · mine · wave · wind

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wind — moving air
  3. spring — of water
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stand — to bear
  6. last — to go on
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. last — final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. firm — a company
  15. spring — a coil
  16. last — finally
  17. club — for golf
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. club — a group
  21. spring — the season
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. wind — moving air

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