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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
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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: key · ball · shower · rash · land · wave · bank · wind

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rash — a series
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a great time
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ball — a dance
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bank — of a river
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — ground
  16. shower — rain
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — in music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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