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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: rush · stand · scale · straw · coach · lash · spring · craft

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. craft — a skill
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — of water
  18. craft — boats
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stand — to bear

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