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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spring — the season
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. press — to push
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — to wash
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — a company
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. board — a committee
  19. firm — decided
  20. press — newspapers
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. press — a publisher
  24. board — to get on

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