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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. season — in sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. content — happy
  7. kick — in football
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. season — of the year
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. content — the amount
  16. snap — to click
  17. rush — hurry
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — a professorship

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