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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 · toast · hand · fan · court · nail · wave · mark

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. court — for sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. toast — bread
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. hand — in cards
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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