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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: kick · file · net · bank · fine · ball · wake · branch

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. file — a document
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. file — a tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fine — all right
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bank — for money
  21. net — after costs
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ball — a great time
  24. net — for catching

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