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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spring — of water
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. spring — the season
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — ground
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — a country
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. object — to protest

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