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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 120 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: pitcher · season · leaves · rash · mark · lash · drill · rule

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rule — a law
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. season — of the year
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rule — government
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitcher — a jug

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