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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 · leaves · land · lash · coach · arm · ball · roll

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. roll — a list
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — to come down
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a great time
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — a country
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. land — ground
  24. leaves — of a tree

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