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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.

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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: lash · wind · wake · bear · club · can · bank · mine

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. club — a group
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mine — for digging

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