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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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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spring — a coil
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spell — a short time
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spring — of water
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. kick — in football
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — letters
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. season — of the year
  20. club — a group
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. present — a gift
  24. spring — the season

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