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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: pit · wound · season · lash · wave · mark · bank · game

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bank — of a river
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pit — a hole
  11. game — a match
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bank — for money
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wound — an injury
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wound — an injury

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