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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. track — a song
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — for money
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — to play on
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. bank — of a river
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. track — a path
  24. net — after costs

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