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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: key · fan · rush · wound · spring · bank · mark · nail

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a trace
  7. key — in music
  8. spring — a coil
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — the season
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — for a lock
  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