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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: charge · can · plane · club · bank · spring · cap · fan

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — a group
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a hat
  6. club — for dancing
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — of water
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. charge — in control
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — electricity
  19. club — for golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — a price
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bank — for money

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