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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.

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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: nail · bass · lean · bank · wound · calf · file · trunk

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. file — a tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — for a hammer

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