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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: field · hide · spring · lash · rock · ball · last · tube

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spring — of water
  13. last — to go on
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. field — farmland
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spring — a coil
  18. last — final
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — finally
  21. tube — a container
  22. spring — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — the underground

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