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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 · rush · bay · swing · hand · bank · sharp · saw

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rush — hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. club — a group
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — to play on
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. club — for dancing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — part of the body

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