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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: kid · net · can · bank · wake · band · rest · bore

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. kid — to tease
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — a trail
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — to drill
  10. kid — child
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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