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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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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: club · present · lash · spring · kick · face · bear · spell

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. present — a gift
  7. club — for golf
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spring — of water
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. present — the time now
  16. spring — a coil
  17. club — a group
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spring — the season
  24. present — there

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