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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: object · rest · clip · spring · present · rush · rule · season

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. object — a thing
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. spring — of water
  5. rest — what's left
  6. present — the time now
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. clip — a video
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. spring — a coil
  14. clip — to cut
  15. present — a gift
  16. object — an aim
  17. spring — the season
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — there
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rule — government
  23. object — to protest
  24. rule — to rule out

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