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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — in sport
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. drill — army training
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kid — child
  21. ground — crushed
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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