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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: trunk · wound · sharp · scale · hide · swing · lie · bank

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — in music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lie — to recline

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