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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: sharp · mate · mine · ball · wind · rock · wave · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bank — for money
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rock — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mine — belonging to me

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