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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: chest · lash · spring · season · bear · chair · rush · firm

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spring — of water
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spring — the season
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chest — of your body
  8. spring — a coil
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — decided
  15. chest — a box
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chest — of your body

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