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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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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: bank · lash · march · pound · last · bowl · arm · leaves

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. last — final
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pound — a weight
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. last — finally
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. last — to go on
  24. bank — for money

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