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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 124 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: spring · net · dip · stand · press · bound · wave · roll

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bound — obliged
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. spring — the season
  6. bound — certain
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — of water
  15. net — after costs
  16. roll — a cake
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — to bear
  20. roll — a list
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. press — to push
  24. spring — a coil

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