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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. last — finally
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. scale — size or range
  11. land — ground
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. land — to come down
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. last — final
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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