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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: stand · season · club · jam · lash · mate · land · shower

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. land — to come down
  4. shower — to wash
  5. season — in sport
  6. shower — rain
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mate — a partner
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. season — of the year
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. land — ground
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. land — a country
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. club — a group
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stand — to bear

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