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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · bay · net · nail · clip · march · wave · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — of a river
  5. net — after costs
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — a video
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. march — music
  24. clip — for paper

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