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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.

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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: nail · face · plane · bank · stock · clip · net · mark

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. net — in sport
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. clip — a video
  10. face — to confront
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — for money
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stock — shares
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bank — of a river
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stock — goods
  24. face — part of the head

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