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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. season — of the year
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. scale — in music
  8. bank — for money
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. chair — a leader
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. charge — in control
  16. season — in sport
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bank — of a river
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — size or range
  23. charge — a price
  24. straw — dry grass

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