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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 120 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: swing · nail · coach · ball · cabinet · bank · wound · rock

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. swing — music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. swing — in golf
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rock — music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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