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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: lean · lash · key · bound · bank · leaves · roll · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bound — certain
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lean — thin
  11. roll — a list
  12. key — in music
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. key — the most important part
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bank — of a river
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tear — to rip

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