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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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. key — the most important part
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. key — in music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. plane — a tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — to drill
  24. board — to get on

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