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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: suit · fall · face · cabinet · lash · band · bank · season

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fall — to drop
  13. band — a ring
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bank — for money
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — the season

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