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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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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: wound · nail · game · rock · bore · can · race · bank

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. race — humankind
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — music
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — for money
  13. can — a tin
  14. race — a contest
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bore — to drill

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