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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: bank · squash · wave · firm · foot · net · mine · rush

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — a company
  13. bank — of a river
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. firm — steady
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — a thrill

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