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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: fine · mate · rest · bowl · plane · lash · season · bank

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bank — for money
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — a break
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. season — of the year
  19. fine — all right
  20. rest — what's left
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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