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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: lie · nail · date · capital · spring · bank · bowl · track

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a path
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — to keep track
  10. capital — money
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — the season
  17. bank — of a river
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a city
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a song
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — to roll

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