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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: squash · nail · wax · bank · wound · staff · spring · bulb

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. staff — employees
  5. squash — to crush
  6. spring — the season
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — a stick
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — for money
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — of water
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bulb — of a plant

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