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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 116 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bound — obliged
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — certain
  8. pit — a hole
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bound — tied together
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. track — a path
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — a song
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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