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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: spring · rule · lash · season · can · club · chip · perch

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rule — a law
  10. club — for dancing
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chip — to eat
  14. can — a tin
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — in sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spring — a coil

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