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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — magic
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. season — in sport
  10. craft — boats
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — letters
  14. season — of the year
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. capital — money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. season — to add flavour

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