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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — of water
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. net — in sport
  24. calf — of the leg

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