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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a document
  4. board — a committee
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a line of people
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. file — a tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bank — for money

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