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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: saw · leaves · lash · calf · spring · deal · key · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — soda
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spring — the season
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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