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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: rush · season · toast · lash · bowl · stem · roll · can

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stem — to come from
  12. roll — a cake
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. toast — bread
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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