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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. file — a tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — steady
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — a company
  24. nail — for a hammer

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