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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. craft — boats
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rock — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. charge — in control

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