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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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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tube — a container
  7. land — ground
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. squash — to crush
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — to bend
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. land — to come down
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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