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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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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: lash · coach · chair · fall · stem · bear · spring · temple

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fall — the season
  24. stem — of a plant

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