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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: nail · racket · bank · bark · tube · tear · row · lie

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bank — for money
  3. tear — from crying
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lie — an untruth

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