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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: rest · wind · coach · bank · hide · jam · net · temple

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. bank — for money
  2. rest — a break
  3. net — after costs
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. rest — what's left
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. net — in sport
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — of a river
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. coach — a trainer
  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