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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: ground · clip · press · bank · drill · nail · hide · bark

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. clip — to cut
  5. drill — a practice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — army training
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. press — a publisher
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ground — a position
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. drill — the tool
  24. clip — a video

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