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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 120 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: chair · bat · bay · swing · calf · plane · bank · sharp

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bat — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. calf — of the leg

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