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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 116 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 · pit · leaves · season · firm · pass · content · wound

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. content — the amount
  3. wound — an injury
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. firm — a company
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spring — the season
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pit — in a race
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. content — happy
  22. firm — steady
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. spring — a coil

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