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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. key — for a lock
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. present — there
  11. land — a country
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — ground
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — to come down
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — in football
  23. band — a music group
  24. key — in music

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