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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 120 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: racket · stick · hand · lash · leaves · tube · field · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. tube — a container
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. field — farmland
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tube — the underground
  17. spring — a coil
  18. field — a subject
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — the season
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. racket — for tennis

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