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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pass — a permit
  5. season — of the year
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — music
  24. net — for catching

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