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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: suit · band · season · spring · plane · mouse · swing · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a music group
  4. firm — decided
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — a company
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. band — a ring
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. season — in sport
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. season — of the year
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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