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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · bank · capital · squash · hide · saw · staff · tube

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a city
  3. staff — employees
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — employees
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tube — the underground
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — a container
  21. bank — of a river
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. squash — the sport

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