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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 124 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 · wave · ground · spring · key · net · dip · wound

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. key — in music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ground — a position
  7. wound — an injury
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — for catching
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spring — of water
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. net — after costs
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. net — in sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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