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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 120 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: fine · present · rush · kick · band · spell · rash · season

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — a short time
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — in sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. band — a music group
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spell — letters
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fine — all right
  15. present — a gift
  16. spell — magic
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. season — of the year
  19. rash — a series
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — there
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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