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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: wake · lean · lash · tear · chest · arm · staff · suit

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. staff — a stick
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chest — of your body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — a box
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. tear — from crying
  24. staff — employees

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