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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. season — in sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. field — farmland
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. ball — a dance
  13. field — a subject
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. field — for sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cue — a signal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a great time

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