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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 · hand · net · field · wake · fan · present · foot

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. present — the time now
  5. net — in sport
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. net — for catching
  11. field — farmland
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. present — there
  15. field — for sport
  16. foot — a measure
  17. hand — help
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — a gift
  21. field — a subject
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. net — after costs
  24. foot — the bottom

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