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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. club — a group
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. season — of the year
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. lie — an untruth

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