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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 120 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
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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: arm · season · capital · lash · mate · bear · deal · mug

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mug — a face
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. season — of the year
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — in sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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