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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 120 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 · pound · lash · mouse · lean · tear · board · ball

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tear — to rip

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