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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — in sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — of a river
  10. season — of the year
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — child
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — for money

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