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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · tube · cabinet · hide · bank · board · lie · bass

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bass — low music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — a container
  15. bass — the fish
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tube — the underground

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