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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. cell — in biology
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. club — a group
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. season — in sport
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. club — for golf
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cell — a phone

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