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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: hide · jam · spring · band · season · bass · staff · object

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — of water
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. object — to protest
  8. staff — a stick
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bass — low music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. band — a music group
  14. spring — the season
  15. object — a thing
  16. season — of the year
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. object — an aim
  20. staff — employees
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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