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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: pound · hand · fan · march · lash · bay · bound · lean

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lean — thin
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bound — certain
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hand — help
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. march — the month
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. lean — to bend

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