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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a music group
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. drill — army training
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pit — in a race
  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