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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 116 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: face · stick · spring · shower · lash · coach · tube · cue

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. spring — of water
  16. face — to confront
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — a signal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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