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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: pass · suit · spring · swing · mark · cold · shower · rush

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spring — the season
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — a trace
  10. swing — music
  11. suit — clothes
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. shower — to wash
  15. suit — in cards
  16. shower — rain
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rush — hurry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a grade

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