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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: band · rush · chair · bank · trunk · hide · net · wave

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — hurry
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. net — in sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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