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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. season — of the year
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tear — from crying
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rock — music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — thin
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lean — to rest against

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