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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 120 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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. court — for sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cell — in biology
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — to bend
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. court — of a king
  19. cell — a phone
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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