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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: hand · wind · root · lean · can · nail · bass · court

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hand — in cards
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. wind — moving air
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bass — low music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bass — the fish
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — thin
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. court — for sport
  22. root — of a word
  23. wind — moving air
  24. court — of a king

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