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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: bank · can · dip · key · kid · net · nail · leaves

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — to be able to
  3. net — for catching
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — after costs
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. kid — child
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. can — a tin

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