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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: nail · spring · present · net · stand · mark · tube · lash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. present — the time now
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — a gift
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — there
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — a container
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tube — the underground

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