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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: bear · rule · leaves · net · lash · rest · spring · calf

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spring — a coil
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — of water
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — government
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lash — to lash out

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