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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: can · mate · craft · coach · hide · fine · net · bank

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — in sport
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — for catching
  10. craft — a skill
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mate — a friend
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. craft — boats
  19. net — after costs
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — of a river
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bank — for money

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