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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: ball · lash · season · cold · club · charge · game · mouse

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. club — a group
  6. charge — in control
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for dancing
  11. game — a match
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. charge — a price
  16. ball — a great time
  17. season — in sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. club — for golf
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cold — not warm
  24. game — a kind of play

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