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

Word bank: board · land · spell · lash · season · cabinet · kick · snap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. land — to come down
  4. snap — to click
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. board — a committee
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — a country
  20. season — of the year
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — to get on

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