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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: spring · race · current · bore · lash · season · jam · stand

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. current — of water
  8. season — in sport
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — humankind
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spring — a coil
  18. current — electric
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — a contest
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — to drill
  24. current — happening now

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