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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fall — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kid — to tease
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — child
  21. board — a committee
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

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