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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · rock · lean · lash · foot · roll · net · shower

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lean — thin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. net — in sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. roll — a cake
  15. shower — to wash
  16. rock — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. net — after costs
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. roll — a list
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — rain
  24. lean — to rest against

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