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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: vault · bear · bank · capital · bound · kick · lash · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — a safe
  6. capital — money
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bank — of a river
  18. capital — a city
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — to lash out

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