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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 116 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: object · staff · key · lash · bank · lie · stand · pound

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. object — an aim
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — to protest
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. object — a thing
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — to hit hard

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