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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 — of the year
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — of water
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. spring — a coil
  8. scale — in music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. land — ground
  14. spring — the season
  15. ball — a great time
  16. season — in sport
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — size or range
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ball — a dance

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