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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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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: lie · wake · staff · fan · club · current · pound · spring

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — to recline
  5. staff — employees
  6. spring — the season
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — electric
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — happening now
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spring — a coil
  16. club — a group
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. current — of water
  19. spring — of water
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — for golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. club — for dancing

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