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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 116 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: mug · spring · dip · rush · squash · season · perch · wave

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spring — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — of the year
  8. squash — the sport
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. mug — a cup
  13. season — in sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — to crush
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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