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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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Word bank
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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: can · wound · bank · net · drill · object · leaves · content

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — to be able to
  6. net — in sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — to protest

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