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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: nail · jam · rush · wave · season · fan · deal · band

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. season — of the year
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a ring
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. band — a music group
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. season — in sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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