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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: stand · straw · lash · scale · bulb · calf · mug · spring

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — the season
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. spring — of water
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mug — a cup
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mug — a face

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