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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — in sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — farmland
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pop — soda
  23. field — a subject
  24. pop — music

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