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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: arm · bowl · net · last · tube · bank · roll · rest

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — in sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — a container
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — a break
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. last — final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. last — finally
  21. net — for catching
  22. roll — a list
  23. bank — of a river
  24. roll — a cake

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