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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: cabinet · bowl · safe · game · lash · wind · stock · bank

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stock — shares
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. game — a match
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stock — goods
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wind — to turn a key

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