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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: chest · bear · stick · dip · spring · lash · pop · stand

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. dip — to sink
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — the season
  9. pop — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spring — of water
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chest — a box
  20. pop — soda
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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