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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 116 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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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 · present · net · kid · bank · lash · bowl · hide

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — in sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. present — there
  14. bank — for money
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — a trace
  19. present — a gift
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — a grade
  23. kid — child
  24. present — the time now

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