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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: mate · spell · hand · object · bear · ball · lash · spring

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. object — to protest
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. hand — help
  13. object — an aim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spring — the season
  17. mate — a friend
  18. spell — letters
  19. hand — in cards
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — of water
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — the animal

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