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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: cold · can · mark · spring · hand · mouse · wave · pass

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cold — not warm
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hand — help
  14. spring — a coil
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spring — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — of water

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