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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: game · last · key · straw · season · stick · lash · bark

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. season — in sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. season — of the year
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. last — to go on
  11. game — a match
  12. bark — to shout
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — finally
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. key — the most important part
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. last — final
  24. key — in music

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