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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
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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: spring · hand · squash · season · pop · suit · rush · charge

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. spring — a coil
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. season — of the year
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pop — to visit

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