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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: rock · fine · spring · foot · plane · fan · wind · hide

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spring — of water
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rock — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fine — all right

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