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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.

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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. present — the time now
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — a gift
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — to confront
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — there
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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