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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: jam · season · spring · mug · lie · wave · wound · craft

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mug — a face
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — to recline

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