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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 116 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: key · lean · calf · coach · bank · stick · lash · fall

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — in music
  5. lean — thin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fall — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. key — the most important part
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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