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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.

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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: mark · game · bass · season · root · lash · bowl · saw

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. root — of a plant
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bass — low music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — the fish

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