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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 116 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: can · lash · spell · net · chair · last · present · bank

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. last — to go on
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spell — magic
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bank — for money
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — final
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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