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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — to bear
  17. mate — a friend
  18. season — of the year
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — in sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ground — the earth

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