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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: ground · rush · spring · suit · staff · wake · pass · band

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. band — a music group
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a ring
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. ground — a position
  14. spring — the season
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — the earth

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