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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 · band · charge · spell · lash · suit · can · prune

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — in cards
  3. spring — of water
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — the season
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. band — a ring
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. prune — to trim
  17. charge — electricity
  18. suit — to fit
  19. charge — a price
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — a tin
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. suit — clothes

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