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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
468
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: safe · can · swing · fan · season · prune · tube · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — the season
  5. season — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — to play on
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. swing — in golf
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — a container
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. safe — a strongbox

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