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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: field · lash · cue · bore · racket · spring · object · stick

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cue — for pool
  3. spring — of water
  4. field — a subject
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. field — farmland
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — for sport
  13. object — an aim
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — the season
  17. cue — a hint
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — to protest
  24. bore — to tire

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