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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: net · march · cabinet · bank · track · shower · wave · craft

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — to keep track
  4. shower — to wash
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. net — after costs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — rain
  13. march — the month
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bank — of a river
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. track — a path
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — a song

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