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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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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pass — a permit
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — clothes
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. staff — employees
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. toast — bread
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pass — to spend time
  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