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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. net — for catching
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. branch — a division
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. bank — for money
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hide — to keep secret

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