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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 120 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: ground · spring · key · lash · stand · lean · mate · firm

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. firm — decided
  6. key — for a lock
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — steady
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spring — a coil
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spring — the season
  24. firm — a company

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