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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rush · net · cell · rock · club · spell · chest

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chest — a box
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — letters
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. spell — magic
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. net — after costs
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. club — a group
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rock — a stone
  21. net — for catching
  22. bank — for money
  23. rock — to move gently
  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