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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.

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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: land · season · fall · lash · chair · mouse · rest · club

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. land — to come down
  5. season — in sport
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. club — a group
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — a break
  12. fall — the season
  13. land — ground
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — for dancing
  18. season — of the year
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. club — for golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mouse — for a computer

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