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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: shower · can · lean · bound · ball · lie · last · lash

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. shower — rain
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — to go on
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — to be able to
  20. last — finally
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. last — final
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bound — tied together

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