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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · tube · lash · mine · mark · game · bowl · club

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. club — a group
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — for golf
  21. mine — for digging
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bowl — a football final

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