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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: lean · squash · hide · wave · bank · tube · cabinet · coach

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. lean — thin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to bend
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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