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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: bank · pit · sharp · net · hide · branch · fall · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fall — the season
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. pit — a hole
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. net — for catching
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  24. sharp — clever

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