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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.

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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: wound · plane · spring · wave · fine · foot · spell · saw

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — the season
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — an aircraft

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