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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: wake · bowl · mug · spell · lash · bank · band · land

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — a country
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — for money
  15. land — ground
  16. mug — a face
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. land — to come down
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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