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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fine — all right
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — a tin
  17. bank — for money
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pass — to succeed

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