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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cold — not warm
  13. season — in sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cold — an illness
  16. craft — boats
  17. capital — money
  18. rock — music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — a strongbox

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