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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — a path
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — to keep track
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. net — for catching
  20. snap — to click
  21. track — a song
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lash — to lash out

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