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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: bat · bank · mouse · land · nail · content · sharp · lean

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. land — to come down
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bat — the animal
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lean — thin
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to bend
  23. content — happy
  24. land — ground

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