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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
468
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: nail · spring · stock · court · toast · chest · bear · lash

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — the animal
  4. court — for sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — the season
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stock — shares
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chest — of your body
  14. court — of law
  15. court — of a king
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — a box
  18. stock — goods
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. chest — of your body

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