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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 · hide · bank · stock · nail · stand · wind · net

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. net — for catching
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wind — moving air

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