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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: sharp · season · calf · rash · bat · dip · content · bank

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. season — in sport
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — of the year
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — happy
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — clever
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bat — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. content — the amount
  24. calf — a young animal

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