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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lash · press · mouse · bass · kick · sharp · fall

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. spring — a coil
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fall — to drop
  15. sharp — clever
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fall — the season
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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