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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: spring · lash · stem · charge · march · board · arm · rash

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. charge — in control
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rash — a series
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — electricity
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. march — the month
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. march — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. charge — a price

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