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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. last — finally
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rule — a law
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bass — the fish
  16. staff — employees
  17. bass — low music
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. last — to go on
  21. rule — government
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. last — final
  24. rule — to rule out

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