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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.

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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: season · arm · lean · lash · staff · pop · land · rest

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — in sport
  6. pop — soda
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. rest — a break
  11. land — a country
  12. season — of the year
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. land — ground
  18. lean — to bend
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. land — to come down
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rest — what's left

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