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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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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: lash · shower · mark · object · stick · spring

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. object — to protest
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spring — of water
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — the season
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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