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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 116 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: hand · lash · tube · stock · scale · present · spell · bank

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. hand — help
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — magic
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — the time now
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bank — for money

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