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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 120 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: bank · object · bay · drill · club · nail · wound · spring

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. club — for golf
  4. object — an aim
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. club — a group
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spring — of water
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — to protest
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — a thing
  21. bank — for money
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. drill — a practice
  24. nail — on a finger

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