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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 116 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: lash · patient · craft · squash · bank · bowl · face · wave

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — boats
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. face — to confront
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. face — to point toward

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