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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: row · track · net · suit · wound · bank · mine · trunk

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. net — in sport
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. track — to keep track
  12. net — for catching
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. net — after costs
  24. wound — an injury

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