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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: mine · bat · season · stand · lash · suit · bank · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bank — for money
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. stand — to bear
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — in cards

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