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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: bank · temple · plane · current · ball · spring · wind · lash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — the season
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ball — a great time
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — of water
  11. plane — a tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. current — electric
  17. bank — of a river
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ball — a dance
  21. spring — of water
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — happening now

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