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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: capital · lash · season · fine · arm · spring · squash · bore

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. season — of the year
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. capital — money
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fine — all right
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spring — the season
  15. capital — a city
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. squash — to crush
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — high quality
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. squash — the sport

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