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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: lash · shower · rock · season · leaves · squash · land · mug

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. season — in sport
  5. land — to come down
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. shower — rain
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — to crush
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. land — a country
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — music

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