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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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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: row · kick · sharp · bound · cue · bank · bulb · nail

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — a line
  14. bound — certain
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cue — for pool
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — of a river
  24. sharp — clever

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