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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: safe · spring · band · firm · scale · kick · leaves · season

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — in music
  5. band — a ring
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spring — a coil
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. season — of the year
  16. spring — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — steady
  21. season — in sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kick — in football

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