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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: nail · kick · race · hand · trunk · bank · leaves · spring

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. race — a contest
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. race — humankind
  12. spring — of water
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — for money
  17. race — the arms race
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. spring — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spring — a coil

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