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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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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: club · bank · sharp · arm · race · bulb · lash · mate

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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 — exactly
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — of a river
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for golf
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. club — a group
  19. race — the arms race
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bulb — for light
  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