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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: lash · sharp · wake · bank · mouse · land · current · season

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — in sport
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. current — of water
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. land — ground
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — an eyelash

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