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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.

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: fine · safe · season · lash · squash · ball · hand · racket

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a dance
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. season — in sport
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fine — all right
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — high quality

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