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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: last · mug · mark · racket · lash · face · spring · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — a face
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — of water
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — part of the head
  12. last — to go on
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. firm — steady
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to confront
  18. last — finally
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — final
  22. spring — the season
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — to lash out

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