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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 · date · wave · lash · mate · vault · mouse · rock

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mate — a friend
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. mate — a partner
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — music

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