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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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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: bank · lash · swing · sharp · foot · present

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — the time now
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. swing — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bank — for money
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — there

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