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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · lash · rule · nail · wound · board · date · stem

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rule — government
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — the fruit
  7. spring — the season
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. board — a committee
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. board — to get on
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wound — an injury

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