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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 · shower · key · lash · swing · bay · firm · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — in golf
  4. spring — of water
  5. key — in music
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. swing — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — the season
  14. firm — steady
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — a coil
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — rain

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