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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: sharp · lean · lie · season · drill · ball · game · lash

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. game — a match
  7. season — of the year
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — a practice
  10. season — in sport
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — army training
  17. game — wild animals
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — to add flavour

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