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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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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: shower · mark · bank · pit · root · nail · bulb · last

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — rain
  3. bank — for money
  4. last — final
  5. bank — of a river
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. root — the cause
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. root — of a word
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — in a race
  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