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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · pass · cap · press · rock · wound · wave · jam

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. spring — of water
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spring — the season
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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