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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: ball · chest · lean · lash · bound · plane · race · bear

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — a contest
  5. lean — to bend
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bound — certain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — humankind
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a dance

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