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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: season · chair · pound · fine · leaves · ground · lash · race

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. race — humankind
  3. ground — crushed
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. season — of the year
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fine — all right
  13. chair — a leader
  14. ground — the earth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. race — a contest
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ground — a position
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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