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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — to grow
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. key — in music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wind — moving air
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — in the ear

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