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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.

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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: game · firm · stock · current · craft · lash · spring · mate

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stock — shares
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. firm — steady
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — of water
  12. current — of water
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. game — a match
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — wild animals
  24. craft — boats

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