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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 120 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: fan · lie · spring · track · can · scale · club · lean

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a song
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. club — a group
  12. lie — to recline
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for golf
  17. scale — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. club — for dancing
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. fan — to cool the air

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