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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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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: foot · lash · cue · spring · stand · hide · deal · file

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a hint
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. foot — a measure
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spring — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. deal — an agreement

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