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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. season — of the year
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bound — obliged
  19. season — in sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — tied together

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