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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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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: lean · bound · lash · plane · date · wind · club · firm

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lean — thin
  6. firm — steady
  7. wind — moving air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lean — to bend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. club — a group
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. firm — decided
  16. bound — obliged
  17. club — for golf
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bound — certain
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — a company
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. club — for dancing
  24. date — the fruit

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