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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 124 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — in music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — a law
  7. key — for a lock
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rule — government
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bank — for money
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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