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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.

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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.

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 · present · lash · bank · spring · bore · staff · saw

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. staff — employees
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spring — of water
  8. present — the time now
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spring — the season
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — there
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to drill
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — of a river
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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