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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · firm · bank · arm · dip · net

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bound — certain
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — to sink
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — obliged
  9. net — for catching
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — of a river
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce

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