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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: rest · spring · march · lash · firm · saw · cabinet · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — decided
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — a break
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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