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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. suit — clothes
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rule — a law
  10. stand — to bear
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — government
  17. band — a ring
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — in cards

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