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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: lash · hand · race · mine · rock · cue · dip · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. hand — help
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rock — a stone
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spring — of water
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — an explosive

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