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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: lean · tear · stick · saw · pound · content · lash · bank

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tear — from crying
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — to rip
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pound — a weight

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