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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bound — certain
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lash — to lash out

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