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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: capital · lash · bank · cue · club · hand · leaves · lean

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. capital — money
  3. bank — for money
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. club — a group
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — of a river
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hand — in cards
  18. club — for golf
  19. capital — a city
  20. lean — to bend
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — thin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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