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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: rest · lash · trunk · stem · wake · firm · spring · wind

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — decided
  11. rest — a break
  12. wake — a trail
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — steady
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wind — moving air

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