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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — for money
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mine — for digging
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — the tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bank — of a river
  24. drill — a practice

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