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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.

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: mate · spring · tube · land · scale · can · lash · ball

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. spring — the season
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — a partner
  5. land — ground
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spring — of water
  16. ball — a great time
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — to breed
  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