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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: chest · bank · lean · cabinet · mate · wave · face · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bank — for money
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. face — to confront
  7. lean — thin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — to bend

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