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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · calf · bank · capital · chest · season · lash · sharp

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chest — of your body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. foot — a measure
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — of a river
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a city
  17. chest — a box
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. capital — money
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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