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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: season · bass · pass · snap · spring · wind · club · current

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. current — happening now
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. spring — of water
  14. snap — to click
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. club — a group
  18. current — electric
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. club — for golf
  23. bass — low music
  24. pass — to spend time

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