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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: fine · bear · rush · spring · hand · rash · pop · present

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. present — there
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. present — the time now
  12. fine — all right
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spring — of water
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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