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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: lash · band · nail · squash · bank · net · content · rest

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. content — the amount
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — in sport
  6. content — happy
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a ring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rest — a break
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rest — what's left

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