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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: tube · can · spring · season · pound · stock · lash · sharp

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stock — goods
  3. tube — the underground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — a container
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. can — a tin
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. season — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spring — the season
  16. pound — a weight
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. sharp — clever
  21. can — a tin
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. season — of the year

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