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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: sharp · hand · mine · nail · spring · roll · leaves · bank

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — of a river
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — of water
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — the season
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. roll — a cake

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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