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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — a subject
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — for sport
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. field — farmland
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. can — a tin
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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