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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: spring · fan · stand · wave · scale · safe · content · wound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — to bear
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — of water
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. spring — a coil
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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