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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · bear · stock · chip · lash · spring · chest · squash

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. band — a ring
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. chest — of your body
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — shares
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stock — goods

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