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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: lash · club · sharp · bank · stock · shower · coach · hand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — in cards
  10. club — for golf
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stock — shares
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. hand — help
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stock — goods
  24. lash — an eyelash

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