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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lash · snap · face · spring · stand · prune · can · tube

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. face — part of the head
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. face — to confront
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — a container
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. spring — the season
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spring — of water
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spring — a coil

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