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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: season · lash · spell · lean · fall · fork · pit · roll

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. roll — a list
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. season — of the year
  14. spell — magic
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lean — thin
  24. season — to add flavour

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