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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 116 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: bank · snap · sharp · hand · rock · bowl · stem · kick

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. snap — to click
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rock — music
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. kick — in football

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