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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bark — to shout
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fork — in a road
  8. season — in sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — for money
  12. row — a line
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — to eat with

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