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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 116 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: bank · nail · spring · rest · shower · land · bass · perch

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rest — a break
  3. bass — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bass — low music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — rain
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. bank — for money

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