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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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