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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.

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: pass · face · nail · bank · calf · mouse · row · mine

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — a line
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mouse — for a computer

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