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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: field · calf · snap · sharp · roll · lash · rock · bank

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — a subject
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bank — for money
  17. snap — to click
  18. roll — a list
  19. field — for sport
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — to lash out

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