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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: mate · kick · cue · lash · field · pop · safe · spring

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. field — for sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. pop — soda
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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