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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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 — of the year
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mate — a partner
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — to fit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. season — in sport
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spring — a coil
  15. object — a thing
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. suit — clothes
  19. kid — child
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. object — to protest
  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