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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 116 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: cabinet · bank · pass · band · squash · season · can · spring

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. band — a ring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — to crush
  8. spring — the season
  9. season — of the year
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. squash — the sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — to be able to
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. can — a tin
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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