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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bank — for money
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — of the year
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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