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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: wave · season · spring · pitcher · march · coach · spell · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — magic
  24. season — in sport

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