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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: lash · foot · cold · bank · rash · pitcher · fork · content

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. rash — a series
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bank — for money

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