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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: wind · shower · track · bank · fall · lash · suit · arm

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — rain
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — a song
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — to wash
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bank — of a river
  16. track — a path
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fall — to drop
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — for money
  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