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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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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bank — of a river
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — a place of worship

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