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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rash — hasty
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — to fit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — a series
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. board — to get on
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — to paddle
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. swing — in golf

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