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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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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: game · wave · lash · drill · pound · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. drill — army training
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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