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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.

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: net · content · track · lash · bay · mine · bank · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a song
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. net — for catching
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bank — of a river
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a path
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — happy
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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