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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.

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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: lash · bark · rest · squash · stick · face · spring · bore

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rest — a break
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. spring — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — the sport
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. face — to confront
  21. spring — the season
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — to drill
  24. face — part of the head

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