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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. drill — army training
  3. current — of water
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — electric
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bass — low music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — happening now
  14. spring — the season
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. season — in sport
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — of water
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bowl — a football final

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