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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: rash · cue · bank · season · bark · sharp · row · coach

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cue — for pool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. season — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rash — a series
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — of the year
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rash — hasty
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rash — on the skin

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