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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.

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: saw · spell · safe · fine · tube · club · wound · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — a group
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fine — high quality
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — a coil
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — a container
  17. fine — all right
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tube — the underground
  20. club — for golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. saw — the tool

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