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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 120 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: shower · mate · wave · season · spring · can · stock · rush

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spring — the season
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — rain
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — to breed
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spring — a coil
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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