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

Word bank: snap · row · club · bank · wave · object · net · season

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. net — for catching
  3. row — a line
  4. net — after costs
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. season — in sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — in sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — a thing
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. season — of the year
  19. club — for golf
  20. row — to paddle
  21. club — a group
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. club — for dancing

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