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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: stand · lash · content · scale · spring · rest · lie · press

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spring — of water
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. content — the amount
  9. scale — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — to push
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rest — a break
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. press — a publisher
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spring — the season

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