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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · spring · deal · court · last · lash · staff · cap

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. court — of a king
  3. cap — a lid
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. deal — to handle
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. court — of law
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. court — for sport
  21. last — final
  22. staff — employees
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cap — a hat

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