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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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468
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. swing — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. season — of the year
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. rest — a break
  24. wind — to turn a key

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