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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: chest · hand · bear · lean · craft · bank · current · lash

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — a box
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — electric
  20. craft — boats
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. current — of water
  24. chest — of your body

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