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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: spring · court · pass · leaves · hide · straw · squash · current

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spring — of water
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. current — happening now
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. court — of a king
  9. spring — the season
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. current — of water
  21. pass — a permit
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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