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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
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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: rule · toast · shower · lash · drill · season · bass · squash

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. toast — bread
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. shower — rain
  15. rule — a law
  16. shower — to wash
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rule — government
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. drill — army training
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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