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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: spring · mouse · snap · cue · dip · rush · hand · season

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. spring — the season
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — in sport
  6. rush — hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. spring — a coil
  17. snap — to click
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spring — of water
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. hand — in cards

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