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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · pop · roll · fan · spring · present · branch · rash

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — a gift
  4. roll — a cake
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. present — there
  11. rash — hasty
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. pop — music
  16. rash — a series
  17. roll — a list
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — a division
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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