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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: chip · bear · nail · firm · lash · press · chest · spring

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. press — a publisher
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. spring — of water
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chest — a box
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — a company
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. firm — steady
  19. bear — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — to push
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — decided
  24. chip — for betting

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