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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: roll · lash · charge · dip · pass · spring · net · bat

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spring — the season
  4. dip — to sink
  5. charge — in control
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — for catching
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spring — of water
  22. net — after costs
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lash — an eyelash

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