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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: ground · trunk · spell · lash · cold · suit · wind · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ground — the earth
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — magic
  8. ground — a position
  9. bank — for money
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spell — letters
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. suit — in cards
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bank — for money
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. suit — to fit

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