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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: lash · bowl · ruler · kick · lean · bank

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. lean — thin
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kick — in football
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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