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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: rush · band · spring · bay · track · straw · jam · swing

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spring — of water
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. swing — to play on
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. swing — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. swing — in golf
  18. track — a path
  19. band — a music group
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. track — a song

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