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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: face · club · suit · scale · bound · lash · stem · lean

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lean — thin
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. club — for golf
  10. suit — in cards
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — obliged
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — to fit

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