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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 · stick · key · bore · present · bulb · racket · spring

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. present — there
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spring — of water

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