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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: kick · spring · bear · stock · lash · prune · nail · vault

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — shares
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spring — a coil
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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