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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: drill · dip · spring · lash · spell · last · game · mate

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. drill — army training
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spring — the season
  6. mate — to breed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. last — to go on
  12. game — a match
  13. last — final
  14. mate — a friend
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spring — of water
  21. spell — magic
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spell — letters

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