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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 116 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: nail · lash · sharp · pitcher · bank · perch · stick · race

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. perch — the fish
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. race — humankind
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — clever
  19. race — a contest
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — the arms race

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