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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — a company
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. season — in sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. firm — steady
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. band — a music group
  19. season — of the year
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  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