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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. face — to point toward
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pass — a permit

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