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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: mug · spring · wound · season · band · staff · firm · sharp

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. band — a music group
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — a company
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spring — the season
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — to rob
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mug — a cup
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — clever
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — an injury
  21. staff — employees
  22. season — in sport
  23. firm — steady
  24. mug — a face

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