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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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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: snap · hand · object · temple · prune · bank · net · kick

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — a thing
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bank — of a river
  5. object — to protest
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hand — help
  10. bank — for money
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — in football
  17. snap — to click
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — an aim
  24. hand — in cards

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