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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: foot · straw · spring · nail · lash · toast · capital · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spring — a coil
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. season — in sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. season — of the year
  13. capital — a city
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. capital — money
  22. spring — the season
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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