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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.

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: hide · bass · lash · ruler · bound · last · stem · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — to go on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bound — certain
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bass — low music
  19. last — final
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. last — finally

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