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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: row · bank · pound · firm · nail · hide · land · temple

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — a country
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. firm — steady
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. land — to come down
  15. bank — of a river
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. firm — a company
  19. row — to paddle
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — ground
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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