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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: net · fork · drill · chest · lash · bank · staff · jam

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — after costs
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. net — for catching
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. staff — employees
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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