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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: mine · kid · lash · lean · wake · charge · hide · spring

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spring — the season
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lean — thin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. kid — to tease
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kid — child
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — for digging
  24. hide — animal skin

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