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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. cold — an illness
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bowl — to roll

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