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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: straw · lash · spring · stand · stock · fall · temple · lean

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. spring — of water
  3. lean — thin
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spring — the season
  12. stock — shares
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fall — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — to bear
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. stand — for spectators

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