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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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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: bowl · lash · spring · stick · wound · coach · mark · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — the season
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kid — child
  14. spring — of water
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kid — to tease
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wound — an injury

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