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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 · object · rash · key · lean · lash · squash · pitcher

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. squash — the sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — to protest
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. key — for a lock
  11. object — a thing
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. key — in music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — to crush
  24. object — an aim

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