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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: spring · staff · kick · can · roll · lash · date · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. roll — a cake
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kick — in football
  14. spring — of water
  15. can — to be able to
  16. spring — the season
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. deal — to handle
  20. roll — a list
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. roll — on a roll
  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