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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lean — thin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spell — magic
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — letters
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mate — a partner
  18. season — of the year
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. season — in sport

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