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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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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: bass · cap · temple · net · bank · fall · row · nail

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. net — in sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cap — a hat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — to drop
  12. net — after costs
  13. fall — the season
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — for catching
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bank — of a river
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a lid

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