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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: pop · content · pound · lean · ball · lash · wind · bore

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. content — the amount
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pop — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. content — happy
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lash — an eyelash

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