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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.

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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: row · lash · craft · squash · stick · content · lean · bank

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. squash — to crush
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — a line
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. content — the amount
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bank — of a river
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — thin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bank — for money

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