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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · racket · lie · nail · leaves · cue · kid · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — a hint
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — for pool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rush — to hurry

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