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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: kick · rock · bank · firm · chest · fan · ball · sharp

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a dance
  4. kick — in football
  5. firm — decided
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — for money
  8. rock — a stone
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. firm — a company
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — of a river
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — steady
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kick — with a leg

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