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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. file — a document
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. net — in sport
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — for catching
  13. shower — rain
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cue — a hint
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to bend
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lean — thin
  23. cue — a signal
  24. net — after costs

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