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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: net · kid · lash · mate · season · vault · spring · stock

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. vault — a safe
  3. season — of the year
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. net — after costs
  6. spring — a coil
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stock — goods
  9. season — in sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stock — shares
  12. kid — child
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. net — for catching
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — in sport
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spring — the season

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