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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.

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: squash · band · stock · spring · stick · arm · chest · mug

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chest — a box
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stock — goods
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a ring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chest — of your body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. band — a music group
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. squash — the sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — a face
  24. stock — shares

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