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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 116 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 · hand · pop · content · lash · racket · pound · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lean — thin
  14. content — happy
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pop — soda
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. hand — part of the 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