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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: toast · mate · season · swing · club · lash · mine · nail

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — bread
  6. season — of the year
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. season — in sport
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mate — to breed
  12. swing — music
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. swing — in golf
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mate — a friend

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