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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 · mark · charge · swing · spring · field

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — a price
  9. swing — music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. charge — in control
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — in golf
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — to play on
  18. field — for sport

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