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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.

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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: staff · bear · nail · ball · lash · bowl · spring · hand

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — the season
  5. hand — help
  6. spring — of water
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. staff — employees
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hand — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bowl — a dish

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