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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bank · sharp · season · file · nail · straw · swing · kid

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — of a river
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. season — in sport
  11. swing — music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — of the year
  15. swing — in golf
  16. file — a tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. file — a document
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kid — to tease
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. swing — to play on
  24. kid — child

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