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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: lash · spring · fan · lie · rock · prune · hide · stock

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rock — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — to trim
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spring — the season
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stock — shares
  23. spring — of water
  24. rock — a stone

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