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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: mark · net · bat · bank · foot · land · arm · lie

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. bat — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. land — to come down
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mark — a trace
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lie — to recline
  13. net — for catching
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bank — for money
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — of a river

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