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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lash · fork · spring · lie · coach · current · key

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. spring — the season
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. date — the fruit
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. current — electric
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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