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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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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: mark · stick · bowl · scale · tear · season · safe · lash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. scale — in music
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. season — in sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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