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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: cell · spring · stick · pound · can · rush · foot · lash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spring — the season
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cell — in biology
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. can — a tin
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spring — of water
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spring — a coil
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — a phone

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