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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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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. season — in sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — finally
  7. bass — low music
  8. charge — in control
  9. season — of the year
  10. charge — a price
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. dip — to sink
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lash — to lash out

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