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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: fine · spring · cell · chip · can · lash · pound · key

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. key — for a lock
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. spring — the season
  11. fine — all right
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chip — to eat
  16. key — in music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. can — to be able to
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — the most important part

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