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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 120 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 · wave · suit · net · present · craft · rash · land

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. present — the time now
  6. suit — to fit
  7. land — to come down
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — ground
  10. present — there
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. suit — clothes
  15. craft — boats
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — hasty
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. land — a country
  23. net — after costs
  24. bank — for money

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