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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · drill · sharp · spring · hide · current · rush · suit

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. season — in sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. spring — the season
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — of water
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. drill — army training
  16. suit — clothes
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — of water
  20. season — of the year
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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