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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: roll · field · hand · bank · rock · stand · swing · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bank — for money
  3. hand — help
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. hand — in cards
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rock — a stone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. field — for sport
  17. roll — a list
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. rock — music
  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