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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: wave · bank · date · spell · tear · mark · net · calf

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. date — the fruit
  20. net — for catching
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. tear — from crying
  24. date — on the calendar

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