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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: snap · bowl · rash · fan · rest · season · ground · rush

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to click
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rest — a break
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. season — of the year
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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