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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cap — of ice
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. season — in sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — the earth
  17. season — of the year
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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