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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 120 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 · coach · wave · hand · game · rash · sharp · bank

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — help
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. hand — in cards
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — a series

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