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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · leaves · shower · bank · ground · lie · lash · deal

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — for catching
  5. deal — to handle
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — rain
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — of a river
  24. net — 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