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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: hide · can · toast · lash · ball · bat · saw · season

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — of the year
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — in sport
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — bread
  11. bat — the animal
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. toast — the most admired

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