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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — to recline
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. key — in music
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. kid — child
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — for a lock
  24. season — to add flavour

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