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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — in sport
  3. pit — a hole
  4. toast — bread
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — boats
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — to crush
  9. board — a committee
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. squash — the sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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