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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 · toast · land · spring · season · ball · drill · branch

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. land — a country
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. branch — a division
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. drill — army training
  17. toast — bread
  18. land — ground
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. lash — to lash out

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