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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · field · rest · season · arm · last · lash · hide

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. last — finally
  3. rest — what's left
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. field — for sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. last — final
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — a break
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. field — farmland
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tube — the underground
  24. last — to go on

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