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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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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 · drill · lash · stand · jam · dip · board · track

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spring — a coil
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — to bear
  8. track — to keep track
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. track — a song
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — the season
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stand — on your feet

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