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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: foot · kick · bass · lean · lash · tube · bank · date

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bank — for money
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lean — thin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tube — a container
  21. kick — in football
  22. bass — low music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bank — of a river

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