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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: spring · band · rush · rest · pitch · hide · squash · season

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spring — the season
  5. band — a ring
  6. rush — hurry
  7. season — of the year
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. season — in sport

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