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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 120 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: cell · march · lash · rock · hand · fine · lean · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fine — all right
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. march — music
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — help
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — a penalty

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