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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · spring · nail · wind · bank · track · wake · bat

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — to keep track
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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