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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · season · fine · fan · lash · field

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. season — in sport
  13. field — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — an eyelash

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