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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: snap · wound · court · lie · lash · rash · spring · craft

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spring — a coil
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spring — of water
  5. court — of a king
  6. spring — the season
  7. craft — boats
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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