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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: net · firm · season · hide · lash · drill · squash · bound

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — to crush
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. firm — a company
  8. net — for catching
  9. squash — the sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. season — in sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — after costs
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — army training
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. season — of the year

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