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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: field · hide · nail · firm · mug · rush · bank · drill

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — a practice
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — a company
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — a cup
  14. field — a subject
  15. mug — a face
  16. bank — for money
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — for sport
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — steady
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. field — farmland

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