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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 116 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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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: cell · bank · swing · lash · ruler · stand · sharp · mine

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bank — of a river
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — a phone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — for digging

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