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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
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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: wound · fan · board · fine · dip · plane · spring · spell

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fine — all right
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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