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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · rule · row · spell · season · lash · net · pound

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rule — a law
  5. net — in sport
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — to go on
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. pound — a weight
  15. season — of the year
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — government
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. last — final
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — letters
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. spell — magic

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