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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. season — in sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bass — low music
  11. fine — all right
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — of the year
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — an eyelash

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