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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: season · pass · suit · spring · can · jam · tear · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — clothes
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spring — of water
  8. suit — in cards
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. tear — from crying
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spring — a coil
  16. season — of the year
  17. tear — to rip
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — the season
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. can — a tin
  24. jam — in traffic

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