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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: net · lean · calf · bank · mine · squash · wake · land

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — to come down
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — for catching
  6. land — a country
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lean — thin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. land — ground
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — to bend

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