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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — magic
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — to bend

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