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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: spring · mark · cap · file · charge · lash · mug · race

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mug — a face
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. file — a document
  5. race — the arms race
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. race — humankind
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — in control
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spring — of water
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. race — a contest
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — the season
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a trace

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