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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: wave · dip · spring · coach · bank · drill · plane · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bank — for money
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — a practice
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — of water
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bank — for money

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