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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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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: roll · field · tube · wake · nail · shower · branch · bay

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. shower — to wash
  8. tube — the underground
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. field — farmland
  19. shower — rain
  20. roll — a list
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — for sport
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — a cake

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