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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — after costs
  9. row — to paddle
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. staff — employees
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to click
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. net — in sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. net — for catching

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