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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — child
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — the arms race
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. race — a contest
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — humankind
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. can — a tin
  22. net — after costs
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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