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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: rest · bay · lash · lean · season · wind · dip · hand

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. lean — thin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. season — in sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — a break
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. hand — help
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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