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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 · land · fine · can · spring · toast · foot · squash

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. can — a tin
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — high quality
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. land — to come down
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spring — the season
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. land — a country
  21. toast — bread
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — the sport

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