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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: pit · band · fall · bore · pop · mark · lash · season

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. season — in sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — of the year
  6. pop — music
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pit — a hole
  18. fall — the season
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fall — to drop

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