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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: court · lash · stick · cue · spring · lean · kick · ball

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. spring — the season
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. court — of law
  24. spring — a coil

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