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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: lash · rock · cap · spell · spring · bank · rush · toast

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. toast — bread
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cap — of ice
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — the season
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spell — a short time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — music

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