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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 116 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: rush · row · nail · content · chip · bank · mug · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bank — for money
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — to eat
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mug — a face
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — a cup
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — for betting
  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