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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: bowl · kick · lash · current · bank · chair

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — of water
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a leader
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bank — for money

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