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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — to recline
  11. drill — army training
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — a practice

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