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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: wave · present · chest · wind · bank · cabinet · spring · lash

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — for money
  18. present — there
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bank — for money

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