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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: ball · object · pop · wind · lean · lash · bank · kid

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. kid — child
  3. pop — soda
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. pop — to visit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ball — a great time
  12. object — to protest
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. ball — a dance
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — music

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