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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: straw · march · bank · sharp · cabinet · snap · lash · bore

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — music
  24. sharp — with an edge

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