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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. scale — size or range
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. season — in sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a music group
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. season — to add flavour

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