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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 · bank · plane · swing · ruler · clip · capital

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. spring — a coil
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — a tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. bank — for money
  24. clip — to cut

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