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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.

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: net · fan · saw · lie · spell · pop · spring · perch

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. perch — the fish
  6. net — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — magic
  9. net — after costs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. net — for catching
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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