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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: cabinet · band · chip · lean · staff · wave · lie · bank

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. band — a music group
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lean — to bend
  24. band — a ring

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