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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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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 · squash · band · wave · current · lash · present · bank

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. squash — to crush
  8. current — of water
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. current — happening now
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. band — a ring
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. current — electric
  17. squash — the sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a music group
  22. present — there
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — ministers

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