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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: season · lean · bat · sharp · bowl · firm · fine · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fine — high quality
  15. firm — steady
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — decided
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. season — of the year
  21. firm — a company
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — in sport
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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