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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: cap · spring · dip · foot · season · stick · rush · hand

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. season — of the year
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. season — in sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cap — a lid

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