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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: craft · capital · bound · wave · spring · mug · kick · fan

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. capital — a city
  3. spring — of water
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. kick — in football
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. craft — boats
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bound — certain
  19. mug — a face
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. spring — the season
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — to rob

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