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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 116 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: wound · cell · hide · suit · net · spring · bank · bay

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bank — of a river
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bank — for money
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. net — for catching
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. spring — the season
  20. net — after costs
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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