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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: lean · wound · mug · mouse · lash · season · cold · board

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. season — in sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a face
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. board — a committee
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — the animal

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