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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.

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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 · racket · bank · saw · band · wake · charge · face

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. charge — a price
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. charge — in control
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — electricity
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. band — a music group
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. band — a ring
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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