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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: chair · bank · current · bay · net · mate · bore · lash

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — electric
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — after costs
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bank — for money
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — for catching
  24. mate — to breed

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