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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. season — of the year
  7. spell — magic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — a partner
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. season — in sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mate — to breed
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spell — a short time
  24. current — of water

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