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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: dip · land · net · mouse · lash · rock · spring · bore

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spring — of water
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — the season
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — after costs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. land — to come down
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rock — a stone
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — in sport

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