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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — of the year
  3. band — a music group
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. band — a ring
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. season — in sport
  17. stock — goods
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — an eyelash

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