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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 120 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: lash · rock · mate · dip · spring · current · chest · mine

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spring — the season
  5. dip — to sink
  6. chest — a box
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — of water
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a partner
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spring — a coil
  24. current — of water

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