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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: board · track · spring · bank · pop · staff · capital · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. track — a song
  3. board — to get on
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pop — to visit
  6. track — a path
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — of water
  10. capital — money
  11. pop — soda
  12. spring — a coil
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — the season
  15. pop — music
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. board — a committee
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. track — to keep track

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