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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: kick · rush · spring · arm · stand · jam · roll · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — a coil
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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