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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: rock · bowl · kick · sharp · bank · lie · swing · clip

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rock — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. swing — music
  23. clip — a video
  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