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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: spring · racket · lash · bank · suit · kick · squash · mate

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mate — a partner
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spring — of water
  8. bank — for money
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — to fit
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kick — in football
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. squash — the vegetable

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