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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: bass · bank · rock · shower · key · hand · last · net

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — to go on
  3. key — in music
  4. last — finally
  5. shower — rain
  6. bass — the fish
  7. net — after costs
  8. hand — in cards
  9. net — for catching
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — a stone
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — low music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. last — final
  21. key — for a lock
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hand — help
  24. bank — of a river

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