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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.

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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: lash · can · ground · rule · net · bank · mate · wake

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — a trail
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rule — government
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bank — of a river
  10. can — a tin
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — for catching
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — a law
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. ground — a position
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wake — before a funeral

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