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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · season · nail · dip · bound · fan · march · content

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — to sink
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. spring — of water
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spring — a coil
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. season — of the year
  13. content — the amount
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. march — music
  18. content — happy
  19. march — the month
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spring — the season
  24. season — in sport

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