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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: season · lie · lash · shower · kick · stem · bowl · spell

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kick — in football
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — to wash
  7. season — of the year
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. season — in sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spell — a short 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