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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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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: lash · lean · arm · mug · season · land · bound · rock

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lean — to bend
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mug — a face
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. rock — music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — ground
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lean — thin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rock — a stone
  17. season — of the year
  18. bound — certain
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. season — in sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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