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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: band · rule · spring · suit · can · kick · march · rush

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. spring — the season
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spring — of water
  7. rule — government
  8. spring — a coil
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — in football
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rule — a law
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a music group
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a ring

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