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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 · spring · board · pop · lash · firm · staff · rash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — to visit
  4. firm — a company
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rash — a series
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. board — a committee
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. firm — decided
  17. rash — hasty
  18. staff — employees
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — the season
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. foot — part of the body
  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