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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: swing · snap · firm · spring · stem · bark · lash · drill

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — army training
  11. swing — in golf
  12. firm — decided
  13. stem — to come from
  14. firm — steady
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spring — of water
  20. drill — a practice
  21. swing — to play on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. swing — music
  24. drill — the tool

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