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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.

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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: shower · spring · nail · mug · can · bat · lash · mouse

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. bat — the animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — the season
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. shower — rain
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lash — an eyelash

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