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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — army training
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. drill — the tool
  24. cell — in biology

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