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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 · nail · tube · mine · shower · row · kick · fan

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. shower — rain
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — a line
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. kick — in football
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — for money
  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