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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: suit · foot · bank · rush · mine · cap · net · straw

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cap — a hat
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — for money
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — hurry
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. net — after costs
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bank — for money

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