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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: fine · dip · bank · bound · straw · field · nail · rash

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. field — a subject
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — for sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. dip — to sink
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — farmland
  20. rash — a series
  21. bound — certain
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. nail — on a finger

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