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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.

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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 · chip · spring · stock · clip · stem · wake · foot

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — the season
  5. chip — for betting
  6. stock — shares
  7. clip — for paper
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chip — to eat
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — goods
  18. clip — a video
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spring — of water
  24. stem — of a plant

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