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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 120 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: mouse · spring · present · wound · lash · net · rush · bark

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — in sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — there
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. spring — of water
  21. net — for catching
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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