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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 116 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: spring · mug · row · bank · lash · stem · degree · fan

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bank — for money
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — a face
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spring — the season
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lash — an eyelash

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