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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: spring · pound · lash · bear · leaves · pitcher · bank · snap

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bank — for money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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