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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · nail · cap · bulb · race · mine · key · bank

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. key — for a lock
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. key — in music
  6. race — the arms race
  7. cap — a lid
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. race — humankind
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. race — a contest
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bulb — for light

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