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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: wind · key · bank · calf · nail · land · chip · ruler

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. land — a country
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — a young animal

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