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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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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: nail · degree · bank · wake · bark · safe · chair · pit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a hole
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pit — in a race
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chair — to sit on

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