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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
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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: safe · lash · season · spell · can · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. can — to be able to
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. can — a tin
  8. season — in sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. season — of the year
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. land — a country
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — a short time
  18. safe — out of danger

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