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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stand — to bear
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pop — soda
  13. staff — a stick
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. staff — employees
  18. ball — a great time
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a round shape

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