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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.

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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: hide · season · fall · bound · spell · capital · jam · rush

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. capital — a city
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fall — the season
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fall — to drop
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — money
  19. season — of the year
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — to keep secret

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