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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: net · track · charge · hide · foot · cabinet · bank · spring

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — in control
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — after costs
  15. track — a song
  16. spring — a coil
  17. charge — a price
  18. track — to keep track
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — a path
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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