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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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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 · rash · bank · stick · suit · bass · perch · lash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — a series
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — after costs
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rash — hasty

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