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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: spring · ground · rest · calf · band · lie · lash · wave

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — a break
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. band — a music group
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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