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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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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: land · safe · bay · snap · bank · bore · band · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. land — a country
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — ground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. band — a ring
  24. safe — out of danger

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