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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.

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: date · ground · game · spring · mate · jam · lash · kick

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kick — in football
  4. date — the fruit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — a match
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — the season
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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