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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: spring · nail · arm · plane · shower · tube · temple · bank

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — a coil
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — the season
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. plane — a tool
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — of a river
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. arm — part of the body

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