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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — in music
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — a coil
  15. capital — money
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. mug — a cup
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mug — a face
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spring — the season

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