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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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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 · wave · bay · hand · bank · file · mine · season

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a document
  12. net — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — for money
  18. net — for catching
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — for money
  22. net — after costs
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — in sport

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