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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: spring · lash · roll · toast · lie · prune · ball · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. toast — bread
  6. roll — a list
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hand — help
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ball — a great time
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — a cake
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — part of the body

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