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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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. racket — for tennis
  4. chest — a box
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — for money
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — of your body
  11. staff — employees
  12. season — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — of your body

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