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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: spring · board · fan · hand · present · pass · nail · wind

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — a gift
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — help
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spring — of water
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. present — the time now
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to spend time

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