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

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ground — crushed
  8. season — of the year
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — a position
  20. rush — hurry
  21. mug — a face
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ground — the earth

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