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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: mine · lash · can · rush · season · foot · race · content

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. season — in sport
  3. race — a contest
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. content — happy
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — of the year
  15. can — to be able to
  16. race — humankind
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lash — an eyelash

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