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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: wind · pass · sharp · wound · shower · rush · staff · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — rain
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — of water
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — clever

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