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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fine — all right
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spring — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. band — a music group
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. season — of the year
  24. band — a ring

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