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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · wave · spring · rash · mine · degree · bowl · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spring — the season
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spring — of water
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lash — to lash out

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