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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: pound · bank · cell · date · plane · pop · lean · lash

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. 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. lean — thin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. 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