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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.

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: hand · firm · season · suit · present · spring · drill · march

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. march — the month
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — a gift
  6. march — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. march — the month
  9. drill — army training
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — clothes
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — there
  17. spring — the season
  18. season — of the year
  19. drill — the tool
  20. present — the time now
  21. firm — decided
  22. season — in sport
  23. drill — a practice
  24. season — to add flavour

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