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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: pop · lash · lean · bowl · march · bound · spring · fine

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. march — music
  7. spring — of water
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — high quality
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — music
  18. bound — certain
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — all right
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pop — to visit

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