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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: stem · bank · cap · track · snap · spell · net · rule

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — a path
  4. bank — for money
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — a song
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stem — to come from
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — in sport
  12. cap — a hat
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. snap — to click
  21. net — for catching
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — government

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