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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — to go on
  5. rock — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chest — a box
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. last — final
  18. content — the amount
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. last — finally
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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