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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: bulb · lash · bark · hand · foot · sharp · plane · bank

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bark — to shout
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hand — help
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. foot — part of the body

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