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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: spring · wave · rash · kick · cap · arm · saw · season

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spring — the season
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rash — a series
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spring — of water
  23. season — of the year
  24. spring — a coil

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