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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: spring · lash · mate · squash · shower · board · kid · safe

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mate — to breed
  3. squash — the sport
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kid — to tease
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — a friend
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. shower — rain
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — of water
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — the season
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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