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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: bowl · lie · roll · rush · spring · hand · patient · lash

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. roll — a list
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — a coil
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rush — to hurry

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