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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 116 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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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: bank · staff · trunk · lean · rule · mine · nail · object

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lean — thin
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. rule — a law
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — a thing
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bank — of a river
  20. staff — employees
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. staff — a stick
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. staff — employees

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