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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: pitcher · rash · nail · firm · dip · wake · lash · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitcher — a jug

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