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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 120 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: kick · spring · safe · spell · snap · drill · lash · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. kick — in football
  3. spell — letters
  4. board — a committee
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — to get on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. drill — army training
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spring — of water
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spring — a coil
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — magic

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