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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: spell · leaves · fan · stand · mine · face · spring · rush

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — letters
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — a short time
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. face — to confront
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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