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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · deal · lash · can · mate · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — of water
  9. mate — a partner
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed

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