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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.

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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: bank · spring · cue · fall · chip · saw · firm · lash

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cue — for pool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spring — a coil
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — the season
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. spring — the season
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — an eyelash

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