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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 120 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: bore · game · wake · wave · bank · stand · march · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. march — the month
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bank — of a river
  11. game — a match
  12. march — music
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stand — to bear
  17. game — wild animals
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — a kind of play

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