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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.

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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: lean · ground · dip · staff · game · season · lash · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ground — a position
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. can — a tin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. game — a match
  18. ground — the earth
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. staff — a stick
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — to sink

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