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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 116 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: bowl · court · dip · rest · lash · season · rush · fork

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — a break
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. court — of law
  12. season — of the year
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — a thrill

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