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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
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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: fan · stick · spring · wave · pop · bank · clip · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. firm — decided
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. spring — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — a video
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — steady
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pop — soda
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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