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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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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spring — the season
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. net — for catching
  16. lie — to recline
  17. dip — to sink
  18. net — after costs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lie — an untruth

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