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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: club · season · sharp · chair · firm · lash · net · lean

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. net — in sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. club — for golf
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — in sport
  11. chair — a leader
  12. net — for catching
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. firm — a company
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. club — for dancing
  18. sharp — clever
  19. club — a group
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. lean — thin

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