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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: hand · jam · object · fine · spring · season · rush · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — of water
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. hand — in cards
  11. season — in sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hand — help
  15. object — to protest
  16. season — of the year
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. spring — a coil
  19. object — a thing
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. object — an aim

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