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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. swing — music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — to play on

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