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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a word
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lean — thin
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. root — the cause
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. root — of a plant
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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