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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 · bank · deal · kid · lash · pitch · shower · bark

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bank — of a river
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bark — to shout
  9. shower — rain
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitch — completely
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spring — the season
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — to handle
  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