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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
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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: bass · lash · bank · mine · pitcher · sharp · scale · kick

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bass — low music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — in football

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