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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: can · bank · hand · spring · nail · foot · bass · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. can — a tin
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spring — of water
  10. can — to be able to
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. spring — the season
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. bank — of a river
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — in cards
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — the bottom
  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