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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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 — the season
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — of water
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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