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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 120 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: squash · coach · spring · ball · bowl · lash · stem · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a song
  6. spring — a coil
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spring — of water
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. spring — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stem — to come from
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ball — a dance

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