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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: game · fall · wind · nail · bank · roll · object · racket

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — the season
  3. object — an aim
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. game — a match
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. roll — a list
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — wild animals
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. object — to protest
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bank — of a river
  15. object — a thing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. game — a kind of play

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