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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: nail · face · rest · cabinet · mouse · club · lash · spring

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for golf
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — a break
  10. face — to confront
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. face — to point toward
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. club — a group
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lash — to lash out

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