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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: bear · lean · spring · board · fan · wake · rock · dip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — the season
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — of water
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. board — to get on
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rock — music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a committee
  23. lean — thin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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