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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — in sport
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a path
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bass — low music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bank — for money
  13. bass — the fish
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. toast — bread
  17. net — for catching
  18. kick — in football
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. net — after costs
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. track — a song
  23. bank — of a river
  24. snap — to click

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