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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: mate · net · cabinet · wake · bank · file · stem · hand

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — for catching
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a document
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. net — in sport

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