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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: fan · spring · pass · cue · lash · stock · band · hand

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. band — a ring
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stock — goods
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hand — help
  16. cue — a signal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. band — a music group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stock — shares

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