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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bound — certain
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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