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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: rush · mark · wind · toast · spring · can · bay · jam

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. toast — bread
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wind — moving air
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — hurry
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. mark — a trace

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