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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: wind · drill · face · safe · leaves · stand · wave · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — to point toward
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wind — moving air
  7. face — part of the head
  8. drill — army training
  9. spring — a coil
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. wind — moving air
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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