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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — the season
  3. club — for dancing
  4. net — for catching
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — a safe
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for golf
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. net — in sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — a group

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