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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: lash · current · spring · rest · ground · dip · nail · object

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. object — to protest
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — a break
  7. object — an aim
  8. ground — a position
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spring — the season
  12. ground — the earth
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. ground — crushed
  17. current — electric
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. object — a thing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — a coil

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