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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. field — farmland
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. shower — rain
  8. season — of the year
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. field — for sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. shower — to wash
  18. season — in sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — a subject
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hide — to keep secret

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