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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: shower · game · season · fork · row · arm · mark · lash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. fork — in a road
  4. row — a line
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. row — to paddle
  14. game — a match
  15. shower — rain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. season — in sport
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — a trace

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