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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 120 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 · lash · pass · lean · tube · spell · mouse · stock

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. tube — a container
  10. spell — magic
  11. stock — goods
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. spring — the season
  24. tube — in a tire

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