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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: arm · plane · spell · rush · bay · shower · jam · spring

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. spring — the season
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. shower — to wash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — rain
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spring — a coil
  24. jam — a tight spot

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